Kansas Book Festival 2026
The 15th annual Kansas Book Festival will take place on Saturday, September 26 at Washburn University. We are expecting another amazing lineup of speakers from the worlds of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books, and the exhibitor tents will feature 40+ publishers, nonprofits, and individual authors. This year, we’re taking it up a notch: stay tuned for updates on our featured food trucks, interactive exhibits for kids and adults, and opportunities to read featured books ahead of time and win prizes.
Follow us on Facebook and on Instagram at @ksbookfest!
Want to Be a Friend and Donate?
The Kansas Book Festival is dependent largely on book-loving friends who believe in the importance of the arts and culture here in Kansas. If you would like to help bring stability to the Festival in this time, when much federal and state funding is being cut, please click here. Thank you for your generosity!
Now Accepting Library Grants Applications!
Over the last 14 years, the Kansas Book Festival has accepted grant applications from needy Kansas public and school libraries, either for books or reading-related technology, and we are open again for applications, starting on March 1st, 2026, and ending with the deadline of April 10, 2026. The Festival typically awards at least two grants of no more than $2000 for book acquisition. The Festival also awards at least one grant of no more than $2500 for the purchase of technology that is reading-related. In total, the festival has granted $122,500 over 14 years.
Please send your grant application between March 1 and April 10, 2026. A digital copy of the application should be sent by email to our grant coordinator, Beth Dobler (bethdobler9@gmail.com). This file can be in the form of a Word Document or PDF, but no faxed or mailed applications will be accepted.
NOTE: Special consideration is given to those with greater financial need, and a library cannot win a KBF grant in consecutive years. Requests may be funded only in part. Also, a progress report, including an accounting of funds, is expected by December 31 of the grant year.
Here are the necessary grant forms for 2026 applications: